Our guest author today is a good friend, fellow author and educator and poet, and artist and cell biologist. No, I share no skills in the last two. Remember her name, you’ll read more of her work. She has served the Lord for 48 years and her passions include art, cooking, and gardening. She’s currently writing a devotional book for folks like herself, living with chronic disease. You may contact her at: 1sciencegal@gmail.com
This time of year is my “Ebenezer stone:” a reminder of God’s care and goodness in my life. You see, three years ago I was fighting for my life. In the spring and summer of that year I experienced bizarre symptoms. Doctors had no answers, and as the months passed, I grew devastatingly ill. Sadly, the decline in my health meant leaving my profession because I was in constant pain, was bedridden, and could not eat. In my mind I was useless, and in my misery, I wished for death.
I never once questioned my Heavenly Father’s goodness, although His silence to my prayers perplexed me deeply. Why was He not showing the doctors what was wrong with me? Why was He not healing me? I look back now and see that He was indeed leading the doctors to look deeper when all tests came back normal. After two hospitalizations and a blood transfusion it was revealed that I had two rare diseases. Unfortunately, they have no cures, only management.
Two and a half years passed before recovering from the tremendous physical set-backs. Currently, pain and exhaustion are constant companions, yet I have a part-time job that is perfect for me. I wish I could say that God healed me from my diseases. He has not. However, He has healed me in many other ways: my emotions, my beliefs about myself, and my expectations. Furthermore, He gives me the fortitude to face the daily challenges that the diseases inflict on my body. Here’s the best healing though: Christ promised that He gives a deep and abiding peace in my being that passes all my circumstances. I firmly believe I am held in the palm of His hand.
So how do we as His children not become bitter in the struggles, not question His goodness and character? We must take Him at His word. He promised to never leave us nor forsake us in Deuteronomy 31:6. Just as Jehovah was faithful to His people in the past, the writer of Hebrews 13:8 declares that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” He does not change even as my circumstances change. He does not forsake His children in their dilemmas and sufferings. Instead, He fills those circumstances with Himself because goodness and faithfulness are aspects of His nature.
Kickstarting The Application
Have you seen God fill your sufferings with Himself? Or have you experienced unanswered prayer? Sometimes we wrestle and sometimes not. No matter what, we all need grace for our trials. Our emotions and disappointments do not blow Him off His throne. We are told “to come boldly to the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need,” Hebrews 4:16. No mention of our feelings or thoughts, only action: “Come.” So my sisters and brothers in Christ, what’s holding you back?